Question about making ethical decisions

[jakethebake]

I was thinking about this last night when I couldn't sleep. In making ethical or moral decisions, are you a “black & white” kind of person or a “shades of gray” kind of person? Why? In making ethical decisions, do you have a firm set of stated moral beliefs that you consciously work from, or do you wing it depending on the situation and just what seems right given the circumstances? Why?

I tend to be a very black & white kind of person and have a set of established morals that are my own that I follow.

[Shajen]

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I was thinking about this last night when I couldn't sleep. In making ethical or moral decisions, are you a “black & white” kind of person or a “shades of gray” kind of person? Why? In making ethical decisions, do you have a firm set of stated moral beliefs that you consciously work from, or do you wing it depending on the situation and just what seems right given the circumstances? Why?

I tend to be a very black & white kind of person and have a set of established morals that are my own that I follow.

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I'm pretty black and white. I'm a raging liberal though, so that might seem weird to some.

I have a relatively rigid set of "guidelines" (more like life experiences, opinions) that I follow. I do try to take into consideration all aspects of a certain idea or concept, but for the most part, I ain't changing [censored]. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[JihadOnTheRiver]

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I'm a raging liberal though

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I love it when liberals admit to this. I don't know why.

[Shajen]

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I'm a raging liberal though

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I love it when liberals admit to this. I don't know why.

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I added that to the post to make a point, even though my political stance is liberal, when it comes to ethics I'm pretty black and white. The two don't often go together, I've found.

(I'm not a democrat, if that's where you were going with that comment)

[asofel]

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I was thinking about this last night when I couldn't sleep. In making ethical or moral decisions, are you a “black & white” kind of person or a “shades of gray” kind of person? Why? In making ethical decisions, do you have a firm set of stated moral beliefs that you consciously work from, or do you wing it depending on the situation and just what seems right given the circumstances? Why?

I tend to be a very black & white kind of person and have a set of established morals that are my own that I follow.

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I'm easily a shades of grey person who follows what seems right and just. I think there are plenty of situations in life which to me feel like they have both correct and incorrect elements to them. Typical questions like "Would you go back and kill Hitler" and so on aren't black and white for me. Perhaps its more that I like to argue and will do so for both sides. Perhaps I don't like being wrong and by trying to argue and see both sides I prevent myself from any obvious wrong choice.

I do think there are things that are black and white, but these are often so obvious that they require little debate. I think its hard to be black and white as situations in life are usually not that easy.

For those who are, give me a couple examples and let me see what you mean. Are you talking about typical issues like the death penalty, abortion etc? I do find it interesting jake about your normal black/white views, but that you struggle with abortion. I think its a great example where its hard to be black and white...

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Are you talking about typical issues like the death penalty, abortion etc? I do find it interesting jake about your normal black/white views, but that you struggle with abortion. I think its a great example where its hard to be black and white...

[/ QUOTE ]if the principle reason(s) abortion, death penalty, etc. make those actions unethical, how do circumstances change those priciples? i'm going to have to say i'm pretty black and white with that kind of thing

[asofel]

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Are you talking about typical issues like the death penalty, abortion etc? I do find it interesting jake about your normal black/white views, but that you struggle with abortion. I think its a great example where its hard to be black and white...

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if the principle reason(s) abortion, death penalty, etc. make those actions unethical, how do circumstances change those priciples? i'm going to have to say i'm pretty black and white with that kind of thing

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if the principal reasons behind them make them unethical?

i think the gray areas arise when there's something that people agree is wrong (stealing, killing, etc) but that such actions can be justified at times.

For example I'd have no problem stealing medicine that I had no other possible way of obtaining if that would save a family members life. I also think that there are situations where taking of a life is necessary. If I have a gun and have a chance at shooting someone who is about to take an axe to my brother, I won't think twice.

So maybe that means that I think taking of a life in saving another is ok? Is that unethical? Immoral?

I think the issue is that so often the absolute truths and ideas beyond morality and ethics end up meeting the reality of life. In a utopian system many things would work that would not work in life.

I'm far from a warmonger, but I think its foolish when people say war is never justified.

I think the origins of what is moral and ethical or not are important in this discussion. For some its societal, for others its religious. One isn't necessarily right or wrong (in my opinion, of course others will disagree) but in the end it makes it hard to prove or disprove one being correct or not, both what is and what isn't, and whether "black and white" is right, or whether "shades of gray" is ok. Interesting discussion though.

[jakethebake]

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Are you talking about typical issues like the death penalty, abortion etc? I do find it interesting jake about your normal black/white views, but that you struggle with abortion. I think its a great example where its hard to be black and white...

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Actually, I am black & white in the way I go about thinking about the abortion issue. I just haven't been able to satisfy myself with either decision.

[JihadOnTheRiver]

This really belongs in philosophy. I'll assume you have a background in philosophy, and if so you probably recognize this as one of the most important arguments to be had. If you trace the history of the major philosophers, they can be divided up rather well by identifying their answer to this question.

This question, if brought up in a cultured environment, will be the base for a pretty wide range of answers, and a pretty good discussion. Politics can be divided this way as well.

[Olof]

I think that if you have strong principles and apply them in a rational manner, virtually all decisions should be completely black and white. That being said, there are a few things such as animal/retard/primitive tribe rights, whether the death penalty should be applied (it's obviously right in principle), abortion etc. that I'm having a hard time deciding upon.

I also think this thread would suit better in SMP.